Montreal-based Bombardier said Monday almost 90 per cent of its Q400 aircraft need to be inspected after cracks were found near the turboprop's landing gear.

The company said about 260 of the 300 planes in operation need inspections of the fittings at the back of the housing around the engine compartment, near where the main landing gear is attached. The fittings will be inspected for corrosion, fatigue and stress.

Bombardier spokesman John Arnone said about 60 per cent of the aircraft have been inspected since the company first issued a service bulletin in April.

It issued another in July.

Australia's Qantas Airlines grounded five of its 21 Q400s after low-cost British carrier Flybe, with its own fleet of Q400s, raised concerns about the fittings.

Arnone said the aircraft remain safe and that the potential problem is unrelated to the crashes in 2007 in Denmark and Lithuania.

The parts on those aircraft were made by a different contractor.

Porter fleet safe

Toronto-based Porter Airlines said its fleet of almost two dozen Q400 aircraft has been given a clean bill of health after it conducted precautionary inspections recommended by Bombardier.

"All of our aircraft now have been inspected and are considered safe to operate," Porter chief executive Robert Deluce said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"We have not found any issues that were highlighted in the inspection itself, and our fleet seems to not be affected in any way."